CBRM mayor’s equalization fight is ‘killing us’

If you’re like me, you were not shocked by the recent census report that indicates a five-per-cent population decrease in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality — not shocked, but perhaps chilled by it.

Somehow, seeing in cold black and white what we all knew, devastates so much more. Now that we all know the exact numbers, it’s time to reflect.

First of all, what do these numbers mean? Of that five per cent who’ve left us, how old do you think they were? Was it largely death of the elderly that led to the population decrease? Retirees moving to warmer locales? Or was it likely young, career-directed Cape Bretoners leaving to find fair compensation for their talents and education? I think we all know who it was.

I sincerely appreciate CBRM Mayor John Morgan’s decade-long campaign fighting for fair equalization from our provincial government. I think it shed light on an extraordinary injustice. Morgan rallied us together and, largely united, we called for action. Years into this campaign, it seems as if our voices were heard and disregarded.

I don’t think we need to give up, but I do think we need to move on. I think Morgan needs to move on.

Right now, we need new leadership. In the last election, I voted for Morgan. If there was an election tomorrow, I would not vote for Morgan.

The mayor and our municipal council should, like emergency paramedics at a car crash, be treating the CBRM population decline like massive blood loss. The graph has reached a disastrous valley and — I think Morgan is right — there is no “floor” in this free fall. We need to do more.

Sometimes, doing what’s right is not enough. Yes, fighting for fair equalization is the right thing to do, and I support that, but it is not enough. Morgan’s fight is killing us.

We need creativity. Morgan needs to reflect on his 12 years as mayor and ask, as many of his constituents will be asking before the next election: “What have I done to curb the population decline? Have I succeeded or have I failed?”

I say Morgan has failed. I say so with a heavy heart. I supported Morgan in each of his mayoral campaigns, and his respective terms, but the truth is that he’s failed to suture the hemorrhage of young educated people from Cape Breton. Morgan’s position afforded him the power to draw up a creative plan to attract meaningful, sustainable employment to Cape Breton. But he’s failed. And that’s OK.

Now is the time for Morgan to turn to his constituents — those of us who are young and educated like him, and who are trying to fix the problem with our hyper-local, community-driven projects. Turn to those older people who’ve watched prosperity turn black and go into free fall.

Now is not, however, the time to hurl the blame upon the provincial government. Not because you’re not right to do so — you are — but because it won’t work. You’ll fail, and then we’ll replace you with someone who has good ideas. Casting blame upon the faulty driver at the scene of the accident will not save the survivor dying from massive blood loss.

I want to help you fix this — we all do. Listen to us. Don’t be the three-term mayor who gnashed his teeth watching Rome burn.

It is not up to the Mayor alone . He was elected by the people and the people should stand with him .It's not just a matter of going to court . It's a matter of the People making a statement too. Citizens of the CBRM should have collectively supported Morgan and perhaps an Occupy Cape Breton would and still can be effective.
Stop putting blame and total responsibility on our Mayor and Councillors.
The people too are responsible for our future. If there was ever a reason for an Occupy Movement it is now .

The only way to beat Halifax is to be no longer associated with it. We will never be a province, but could we argue "a territory". Surely our attachment to Nova Scotia has not helped. Sooner or later Capers will realize that Nova Scotia is run by a few wealthy political hacks and our MLA's must march to their drum, or they won't get elected. Cape Breton's MLA's have done nothing for us, and that includes those from all parties. We couldn't get anything sunstantial when we had 9 of 11 liberals, and now the NDP are in power, and we are doing worse than ever. I am sorry to say, but our Island will slowly die.

I spent the whole night reading this stuff. I think Morgan has some enemies but he really seems to have them up against a wall. They hate him for fighting things in Court but ironically they seem to need him to take this sewer thing to Court even if he eventually loses because it would postpone paying the $450 million for years. Whereas, if they get rid of him, they will have to borrow the $450 million immediately and raise everyone's taxes right away to carry the payments. His enemies need him to do the very thing they hate him for; fight something in court. Since these are criminal charges triggered by refusing to build the sewer plants, only Morgan would dare fight it. His enemies hate him for fighting with the federal and provincial governments in court but need him for the same reason.

Some guys on here said they don't like Morgan going to Court over the sewer thing but if CBRM doesn't go to Court over the sewer money we will have to pay $450 million almost right away. Even if Morgan eventually loses, he can put off the cost for a decade. Better that than have them triple our taxes to build sewer plants we didn't even want. I am on my own septic so I wouldn't even benefit from the increased property taxes. I will let Morgan keep fighting as long as they don't raise my taxes in the meantime thank you very much.

I understand that some of the people in the political parties don't like Morgan because he won't join them but what happens when that party gets voted out. Shouldn't he be free to represent us no matter who is in power. It seems to me to be a good thing that he won't join their parties so he can represent everybody.

It would be hilarious to see Calabrese run against Morgan with that silly claim that Morgan is fighting too hard for us so we should vote Morgan out. I think Fuzzy Bachich would get more votes than Calabrese.

I think if a vote was taken today, Morgan would still get 80% . Some don't like him because he isn't part of their political parties but he is clearly with the people of Cape Breton and that is what matters to me

In my opinion, Morgan still has very strong support because they haven't increased taxes and they stopped all the strikes and downsizing of police and recreation and everything else that was happening before he got there.

I don't agree with a few on here trying to blame Morgan for being right and telling the truth all along when the Morgan haters all got it wrong while they were demanding we cozy up to whatever the government of the day was even though none of the governments would even acknowledge population loss was even happening or was a problem if it was happening. Morgan will cruise to re-election because he is the only politician that even speaks about these things and he doesn't back down even when a new gang of now NDP led Halifax apologists are telling the same story the PC's and Liberals did before. He is the only politician not in the political parties pocket. They can't shut him up so they want to get rid of him but he will get another 80+%

I agree with the Landslide guy that said some of Morgan's haters who denied the population was declining and protected the province all along are now trying to shoot the messenger because he has been proven correct. Making them all look bad for pretending everything was ok.

I see a few of the usual guys trying to make a political path out of initially lying about the extent of the depopulation problem and then when their lies are revealed by the census they lie about the cause of the problem. First of of, all these Morgan haters have been claiming for years that we "turned the corner" or some project was going to make things better without the province giving us OUR money. So just stop talking about equalization. They said we were doing fine whether the province was taking our money or not and they denied the population was still declining. Only Morgan was being truthful about what was unfolding even as the political parties attacked him for telling the truth. Now that the census shows he was right, the same people try to shift the blame to him instead of the province for taking the resources we need to stabilize the region. The tactic of blaming the one person who saw the situation correctly won't work and Morgan will be re-elected in another landslide in a few months.

Well written, valid argument made by Mr. Calabrese. Finally, someone addresses the underlying problem in the CBRM: John Morgan. (He must have one of those CBU degrees).
Step out of the cave Morgan Supporters, the mayor is playing every one of you.
He is in office for one reason, that being John Morgan.

What's with you people rippin on CBU?? It's hard to take you seriously when you say you support Cape Breton and undermine it's largest educational institution and only university in the same sentence!

Selranospm

February 12, 2012 - 13:52

The essence of the debate so far is that we need "new ideas" or "new leadership" or "build a bridge with the provincial and federal government" and all will be fine. Yet nobody has given one little idea of what constitutes "new Ideas" to overcome the declining population and underfunding. These words flow easily but what do they actually mean? Try running a campaign on this and see if the population will fall for such BS. Others claim the debt is not being dealt with. Well the audited statement for 2010 has the debt at $73,025,514 and as one other person posted the paydown against the debt for 22011-2015 totals $47,873,195. Apparently the debt is being handled while trying to deal with underfunding and provide some level of services. One poster presented the premier's 2005 resolution to the provincial legislature where he acknowledged the provincial government funds municipalities only to 40 percent of their expenditures in providing both provincial and municipal services. Put some suggestions to improve that situation. That is by design. The other consideration is that the position of mayor is powerless under the MGA. He has one vote and chairs council meetings. The position depends on getting approval or cooperation from enough councillors on ideas and to add to the problem each councillor is in competition with others to grab sufficient enough of an already inadequate funding for each councillor'sconstituents to be satisfied enough to re-elected him/her. Some have implied that another court case will be pursued by this municipality, but that, if it happens would be the higher levels of government pursuing that action, not the municipality. The recent sensus has the growth of HRM getting essentially all the provincial growth while most of the counties lose population. Why? Government policy has determined that outcome. How will this new ideas person change that result? Residential and business tax rates are substantially lower in HRM. A young person looking at this situation would consider what the government policy is and then make a business decision to go where the action is being structured. Areas not in the lens of government policy which are losing population are not the areas business look to to set up operations. When all these government policies that are inimical to areas outside the intended development area are considered, it seems some want an individual for this powerless mayor's office that will be agreeable to that government policy so there will be what they describe as more "positivity" Positive for what benefit?. A few local people will likely get on the government side to win some goodies for themselves while the rest of the young especially will have to either move or do their best to try and survive in an economy that is intentionally being left outside government policy for economic development. As one who has been away and came back, I see no other option than to continue to draw attention to the intentional de-development of this province in the interests of one centralized area and to build that bridge wtih the many other municipalities being set adrift. That this municipality is being hit the hardest should also be noted by residents when those who propose to manage this intended decline just so there is nice cordial relations by elected municipal officials with upper levels of government. We have a choice: surrender to this injustice or propose something to end it.

I think a few long term Morgan haters are engaging in some wishful thinking that they can blame the population loss on the one person who has been talking about it and fighting against it from day one. Most of the last few years media and other politicians would not even acknowledge it was happening instead saying we "turned the corner". Sadly, seems Morgan was right but I give him credit for standing up to the political party hacks running interference for the province while they screw us around, then and now.
The fact is that Morgan has overwhelming support for the same reason the insiders hate him, he is not tied to political parties and so he speaks for us not them

If you folks leave out the politics of things, it is pretty clear that this place is toast. Take a look at the statistics Canada report and you will see that some places in CBRM are losing population at 2% every year. The whole Northside which is identified in the report under the name Sydney Mines and the area in and around New Waterford both lost 8% between census periods. The remaining population on average is age 44 so there is not nearly the birth rate to replace the population. Thus the population base is about to go over a cliff of no return. I support Morgan because he has always told the truth about this and fought back but regardless, the place is about to disappear because there are no young people left to replace the population.

If Calabrese is angry about the population loss, he should vote for Morgan: a)because he is the only politician that even acknowleges the issue instead of saying we turned the corner and b) because CBRM did better than every other area outside HRM in terms of population. Population decline was worst in the areas where their politicians were not admitting the problem

I notice there are a few just like before the last elections that want Cape Breton politicians to stop fighting against Halifax so they go after Morgan. This never works for them in the long run because people know what the province is doing to us so they vote for Morgan overwhelmingly every time. The real way for them to eventually defeat Morgan is for them to start treating Cape Breton fairly

Morgan is the poster child for, if you can't dazzle them with brilliance.. Baffle them with BS. Houdini couldn't win this $450M fight with Ottawa. If you want to believe a do nothing mayor with a poor record will win this fight by all means vote for him. His us against the mainlanders mantra seems to be effective. He convinces CBer's and gives a laugh to anybody not living there.

There really isn't anybody with Morgan's qualifications on Council or any of the challengers. It really stands out when you watch them on tv. There doesn't seem to be anyone there with any education to speak of. Maybe one or two with CBU degrees

Mr. Calabrese has made some well thought out and educated points. Mr Morgan has fought the fight and lost and now it's time to move on. We need to now work on building partnerships with the provincial and federal governments rather than alienating us from them. Ever heard the phrase that it's easier to catch flies with honey?
The $450 million is needed by 2020 and we are not the only municipality in the country facing this situation. By then we will likely (hopefully!) have a new government and regulations may change. No one is arguing that the province is not doing a great injustice to CBRM with the equalization payments. We lost. Time to move on. What are the other municipalities doing?
The truth is that CBRM was only several years from becoming debt free before Morgan was elected and since then he has spent, borrowed, spent, and borrowed and now we are faced with a huge debt with NO friends in Halifax or Ottawa. Now is the time to bring in new blood, new ideas, and become self sustaining. Find a new approach to solving the equalization issue.

Disbelief is how I react when I read so often that islanders aren’t progressive and tend to reject new ideas. In fact, Cape Breton is something of a living laboratory; a long term social experiment. It has been for decades, since the British owners of the steel plant and coal mines walked out the door and shoved the keys through the mail slot. I’m not sure what phase the experiment is in now, but it must be past midway if you take Black Friday as the starting point. Friday October 13, 1967 is now getting on to a half century ago. Since that time the Cape Breton adventure has seen everything, including a train wreck or two. From assembling Toyota cars and trucks at Point Edward, automobile components at General Instruments, two Heavy Water plants, a multi billion dollar rebuild of the steel plant and coal mining operation, sheep farming, an aggressive redevelopment of the tourist industry including the magnificent Fortress Louisbourg, the ultra high tech Silicon Island, a greatly expanded C.B. University, Celtic Colours, Call Centres and on and on. Some of it took root, some died on the vine. Some people did quite well along the way,,,,some even got rich. The industrial barons of yesteryear have been replaced by a variety of “entrepreneurs” mostly franchise owners: sandwich makers, donut bakers, hamburger flippers, automobile dealers, retirement home developers and by and large, the areas politicians and their camp followers. Tagging along behind are the usual suspects, the medical community, the law industry, government workers, teachers and finally “the unwashed masses”. For some, life on Cape Breton has been good and will continue to be so. For others, not so much. The next major test will come when the half billion dollar Tar Ponds Project ends. It has had a noticeable beneficial effect on the area. It sounds like some are already scrambling to figure out how to capitalize on the $450m system of sewage treatment plants the Feds are proposing. Having worked only briefly as a lawyer, John Morgan is by now a career politician. With two undergraduate degrees and a law degree, he is head and shoulders above the council he chairs, but, unfortunately, that isn’t saying much. Morgan has been in office for almost twelve years now....some of the present councillors have been around for thirty years and more. The whole assemblage never fails to disappoint. In my opinion, if you are looking for fresh ideas on where the island’s future prosperity lies....look elsewhere.....stick a fork in them,,,,this crew, both mayor and council, is done. Recruit another group of community leaders while the pool of talent still has something to offer.

Our culture is often the thing that hurts us the most. He laugh and support people who go on EI and make it a running joke amongst conversation but don't concentrate on supporting out community with intelligent, bright, and ambitious people who don't have to rely on government assistance to get by. If Cape Breton often hired the best people for the job, instead of nieces, nephews, etc... then just may be we would have an island that is full of ambitious people that can help the community and stimulate the economy.
Educating today's youth is massive in providing our community with the potential leaders of tomorrow. More times than not, we do a good job of that, but then we allow those individuals to go elsewhere to strengthen someone else community.
Personally, I moved home for a brief time in hopes of getting on at the CBVSB. I had excellent references, experience (5 years), and education. I couldn't even get a 'fair shake' because I didn't know anyone anymore and I haven't been sitting around proving my loyalty. Instead, maybe what they should of been asking is, who is the best per on fro the job and who would I personally want teaching my child. To not even get a chance at a position (not even an interview) to prove yourself, is quite disheartening. I was told (by one of the heads at the school board) that I probably wouldn't be awarded an interview until three-five years because I haven't been around long enough (forget that I was proudly born and raised in Sydney my whole life). But, I was told that when I did get an interview, I would easily win based off of my experience. That doesn't seem right to me. If that were my child, I would want the best teachers teaching my kid, not the ones that aren't as good but stayed home and were loyal. Don't get me wrong, I know there are a lot worth subs back home that are just as good but all I wanted was a chance to prove myself in an open competition.
But then again what do I know, I only moved back to Alberta and became a Vice-Prinicipal within two years of returning. The thing that annoyed me the most is that I could be home using the gifts that God gave me to help motivate youth to want to be the best that they can be, and prove that if you work hard enough, you can be successful, but yet I'm rather using my skills in another community far away from home.
So, when people ask "Why do our youth move away from home?" I would tell them that Cape Breton doesn't support its youth, and doesn't give them an even playing field. Home needs to develop a new culture where the best person gets the job, we stop supporting unemployment as an occupation, and reward hard working ambitious people - not penalize them for going away to get an education and experience. Too bad people didn't realize that we are trying to bring these assets back home to our community to help make it a better place.

Brilliant! Exactly. Way too much nepotism here. "Who you know" is the gold standard in CB. It will NEVER change. Stay in Alberta and be around progressive people. CB is top to bottom corrupt. Come home for a nice visit every year and marvel at the eroding infrastructure and declining populace.

CBer in Ontario

February 13, 2012 - 08:35

I grew up in CB and when to UCCB. Now I work in Ontario (in IT). I tried to buy a house in the north end of Sydney last year to rent. I showed up at the door with the full asking price in cash and they wouldn't sell because I live in Ontario. Eventually my agent convinced them to sell because my parents and brothers still live on the island.
Telling the story back in Ottawa was embarrassing - except when i would tell other Cape Bretoners here. They would laugh and say good old crazy Cape Breton. Nice place to visit but wouldn't want to live there.

Anoffericanrefuse

February 13, 2012 - 18:15

@CBER in Ontario: In the last decade or so, a number of houses in Sydney and area were bought up cheaply by off-island buyers. Some as far away as BC and Caifornia. Numbered companies were used in many of the transactions. They hired local property managers to take care of the houses...I use the terms "manager" and "take care" loosely. In some cases they are small apartments rented to people on social assistance and the rental cheques from the municipality are deposited directly into the owners bank accounts to assure payment. The places became slums pretty quickly. Sometimes with disasterous results for the tenants and the surrounding neighbourhood. Maybe that helps to explain the initial reaction you got to your purchase offer. Strange you realtor didn't discuss that with you. Anyway, hope you will be a good landlord and a good neighbour. Good luck from a crazy Cape Bretoner.

OURNDPMLAS

February 11, 2012 - 17:16

Blame Morgan? How about GORDIE GOSSE and FRANK CORBETT. #2 & #3 most powerful men in our provincial gov't. When in opposition they PROMISED to address the equalization issue and AGREED WITH MORGAN, so did Premier DEXTER. If you ask what Morgan has done, ask what GOSSE AND CORBETT HAVE DONE? RAISE OUR TAXES, CUT OUR HOSPITALS AND SCHOOLS AND GIVE IT TO HALIFAX. These two clowns have to be held accountable for turning their backs on Cape Breton.

Do you really think Morgan can stop the $450 million wastewater payment? PM Harper is not one to mess with, he will push it to criminal charges. Back off on one, others will try the same thing. Municipal gov is lowest on the food chain. Harper can be a very nasty guy,this is not the NS gov he is playing with.This is the big leagues.

I think the questions about the sewer obligation this spring deserve a reply. So Mr Calabrese, who doesn't like CBRM going to Court all the time, where does the $ 450 million come from to build the sewer plants? Will you triple taxes to build the plants keep from going to Court facing criminal charges for not building them? Maybe you will also risk jail and go to Court as well? That would be very brave and noble of you to put yourself at risk like that but how do we know for sure that you will do it when you hate Morgan for fighting in Court. Will you borrow the $450 million? If you borrow the $450 million, how are you going to pay that back? Will YOU risk jail to protect the community?

I think Hector Thomas makes the most sense to me. No one other than Morgan will ever in a thousand years take the risk to fight against the $450 million dollars sewer plant obligation. Because they would have to face criminal charges, all the Morgan haters, once in office, would simply build the plants and pass the bill along to us. For the Morgan haters, they need the very thing they hate about him; his willingness to fight things in Court. Otherwise, their taxes will triple in a few months to pay for the plants and the cowardace of their new leaders.

I don't really see how the Morgan haters can get rid of him in light of the $450 million wastewater regulations kicking in this spring. Their main complaint about him is that he takes everything to Court but if the CBRM doesn't fight against that requirement, our debt will increase to over 550 million immediately and our taxes will triple overnight. Since the wastewater regulations are backed by criminal law, no one except for Morgan would dare defy them. So, for example, if Mr Calabrese works up his nerve to put his name on the ballot and wins (which would never happen although 20% of the vote is always available to Morgan haters), he will either spend $450 million on sewer treatment plants and triple everyones taxes or he will face criminal charges for not building them. Realisticly, everyone knows only Morgan would dare fight the charges rather than raise the unfair taxes. At the end of the day, even Mr Calabrese has to decide either to keep Morgan fighting for us or to have his property tax bill increase three fold. Even Calabrese will vote for Morgan in October because, as he acknowleges in his letter Morgan will fight and that's what we need. I will vote for Morgan as well as will almost everyone I know.

I don't understand Mr Calabrese. He seems to be blaming Morgan forbringing up or talking about the key issues causing the population to decline and thus killing the region. How could it possibly help to have a leader who refused toacknowlege what the province is doing to us and didn't talk about the issues. Changing the subject will just allow the province to kill off the region without a fight.
The province of Nova Scotia is underfunding municipal services in CBRM by $100 million per year and underfunding all other provincial services in the area by another $100 million each year compared to Halifax. How could any region keep it's population in that circumstances? Demanding that our leaders lie to us about what is happening and demanding that they lie about the provinces role in it will not solve the problem and getting rid of the one leader we have willing to stand up for us in the face of the abuse by the province will be the death of us.

Donnie Calabrese has written a lot of words but as usual with this type of negativity there is not any substance to it that one can use to provide this community with a course of action out of what he agrees is the “extraordinary injustice” imposed by provincial government policy. Apparently for Calabrese one has only to elect someone he claims, “has good ideas.” What that may consist of he doesn’t however give us any indication, other than it is “not, however, the time to hurl the blame upon the provincial government,” which is the government that is imposing this “extraordinary injustice” on this and other communities. He argues that Morgan has failed. It is not Morgan who has failed; it is the local self-proclaimed leaders who did not back Morgan all along. The average person did so, but the lack of support from the others was conspicuous to the powers imposing this “extraordinary injustice,” and the courts are part of that process. Apparently Calabrese sees no problem is the fact none of the political “representatives” have spoken in support of this community re: equalization. Where were they? Where are they now?! It is they who have failed and contributed to the “extraordinary injustice” you have described yourself. The evidence produced by the CBRM administration has informed this community long ago what was going to happen regarding the under-funding of municipalities. That young talented and better educated people particularly are leaving and they represent our potential future is not something new. The census results are not something new and one is not being presented with an outcome they were not warned about previously. The government commissioned Donald Savoie report that reinforced this government policy to grow the capital area and allow the rest of the province to take whatever scraps may flow down stream to them is not something Calabrese even mentions. Why? That policy was not new either. Governments all along were implementing it. Morgan did not establish all of these obstacles against this and other communities. Many attempts at negotiations by this municipal government to talk were rebuffed at every opportunity. Where was the local leadership backing then? That this municipality is being discriminated against by the government’s deal with Nova Scotia Power that results in this municipality subsidizing most of its already inadequate equalization funding was not Morgan’s doing. We have had local MLAs in government that did nothing to remove that economic discrimination. That the Premier can quote the wording of Section 36 of the Constitution Act, 1982, in his bitching with the federal government over the take-it payments for healthcare is hypocritical. That the Premier used the same constitutional argument as Morgan in his resolution before the provincial legislature on May 5, 2005, indicates that Dexter is fully aware of this “extraordinary injustice” Calabrese so easily dismisses. Why? Darrell Dexter agreed with Mayor Morgan's assessment of the significance of equalization to a community's sustainability when he delivered this resolution in the Legislature: "Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution: Whereas the Union of Nova Scotia Munciipalities has released a landmark report entitled: A Question of Balance: An Assessment of the State of Local Government in Nova Scotia; and Whereas the report concludes that because the province equalizes to a standard of 40 percent of normal expenditures, it does not enable municipalities to provide reasonably comparable services at reasonably comparable tax rates; and Whereas the report also found that the province ignores the differences between commercial and residential assessment when measuring ability to pay; Therefore be it resolved that the province should respond positively to the UNSM report by taking immediate steps to close the door to manipulation of the equalization formula and to close the widening gap in ability to pay for basic local services." (Mr. Darrell Dexter, Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly, Oral Questions, May 5, 2005) Calabrese offers no remedy for this kind of hypocrisy from our political "leadership." And when it means losing $100 million a year, I am interested in the new leadership he has dreams of that will overcome this kind of handicap. Perhaps he should run for mayor and present whatever “creativity” he claims is needed to have the private sector activated under these circumstances.

What a forum for Morgan supporters to defend our "mayor" to boost his rating for the upcoming election. Morgan's scare tactics and blaming the province for our problems have gone on long enough. All of you supporting the mayor have once again fallen into his political scare trap. I'm also a young professional living and working in Sydney. I pay among the highest HST and property tax in the country. There is NO infastructure here. There is no solid plan to deal with growing debt, a declining workforce, outmigration, water treatment.. etc... other than, of course, sue the province again... We have nothing but dirty debt spent on useless lawsuits which severed all relations this area had with the Provincial and Federal Governments. If our council, Province and citizens of CB don't work together now, our beautiful island will bleed to death. Well written article Calabrese, hopefully I'll one day check your name on the mayor ballot.

Aren't you making Morgan's point, If your taxes are unfairly high and you don't have needed infrastructure, don't you understand that you need to get the province to stop stealing our money. Why would you blame Morgan when the province takes the money from us? If he stops complaining about it, you still wouldn't have any money for anything along with that looming $450 million bill for sewer treatment plants this spring.

moverone

February 11, 2012 - 16:49

You've hit the nail on the head! We need more people to recognize what is happening to CBRM. High personal and property taxes, unexplainable high energy costs (power and gasoline rates) , an outrageous HST rate, and dormont economy are just a few reasons why we can't retain our youth, nor attract businesses to our region. Cape Bretoners need to wake up! Mayor and his Merry Band of Councillors have done little to improve the quality of life for Cape Bretoners. It is time for a change.

Hector Thomas

February 11, 2012 - 13:24

The letter isn't logical, without funding we can't do anything. How would it help us to just accept the lack of funding and thus minimal services and higher tax rates? At least Morgan fights for us while everyone else stays silent or pretends it doesn't matter that the province is stealing our money

As I see things, I don't blame Morgan for fighting for equalization and fair treatment of the region because we can never survive unless the province does that. The municipality doesn't have the money to deliver services to keep the population here like transit, recreation, adequate roads or other facilities because the province is keeping our money. We shouldn't fault him for not pretending it is ok for the province to do that because we will die unless they fix it. If you guys get your way and shut him up, we will be more positive but still dieing because there is no money to deliver the services people need to stay here. We will just be made to shut up as they kill us off. As far as I can tell, Morgan is the only politician who has consistently told the truth about what is going on and consistently faught back on our behalf

I bet Comments from Tommy, Amanda, George, Florence and Mayor Supporter were written by Morgan himself or his campaign team. Time for change. Good on you Donnie for writing this letter. Best one I've seen in a long time.

Excuse me, whoever you are but I am not anybody else. I support Morgan because he is for the people

Arrogant

February 11, 2012 - 15:38

It is very shallow and arrogant for the Morgan haters to just say "the time has come" but not address the issue of systematic underfunding against Cape Breton by the province. Who do they think they are to say that without addressing how the region is being treated by the province.

Mayor Supporter

February 11, 2012 - 11:30

Donnie........The comments you made,concerning Mayor Morgan should step down,are totally wrong.It is not the fault of our mayor that we are in the predicament were in,equalization is "KEY" regardless of your opinion.If you can't see the clear picture here what has being going on for alot of years with our provinicial government past and present,then you need to take another series look.We here in the CBRM haven't had a fair deal with equalization,and also take another look at the scale for all the other municipalities in Cape Breton.It is terribly unfair to all these municipalities what has been going on.So Donnie you give a nice speach,except for the negative parts about our Mayor Morgan,you aren't as smart as you may think you are.Last but not least Donnie, if your name is on the ballet to run for mayor,you will not get my support or the support of the morjority of the constituency.

This Island needs a radio talk show for people to exchange opinions. What has Morgan done for CB since he has been mayor. All I hear is it is Halifax the province or feds caused it all. Other municipalities and mayors like Billy Joe MacLean don't resort to the blame game. Morgan had his time, give somebody else a chance. It couldn't be any worse.

I think Morgan is wonderful. Mr Calabrese doesn't seem to understand that Morgan is the only politician that even acknowledges these issues and tries to correct them, all the other politicians deny the problem and pretend things are fine. No municipal government could have the resources to undo provincial government decisions once the province starts starving Cape Breton.

I don't agree with Mr Calabrese. He is blaming Morgan for not solving a problem Morgan has no control over. Morgan is the only one on the side of the average Cape Bretoner and not tied to any of the political parties. Everyone I talk to supports him as strongly as ever.